Christmas film in the summer · Part 1

I left five rolls of film in the States, and eight months later, I had them developed.

I went to California last Christmas to see my family, and as weird as it may sound, I only used a film camera to photograph my getaway. If you aren’t familiar with my attitude toward color film, let me fill you in — I don’t like it.

I’d heard so many people say, “Oh, you need to use XYZ stock,” or “You just don’t know how to meter it,” or “Edit differently in post.” The advice gets old after a while. No matter. I told myself I was just going to have fun, and fun I had. I shot as if I didn’t care about anything. I mean, I concentrated on composition quite often, but moreover, I just photographed whatever and whenever.

The meat of this story is really about my visit with my parents, who live in the mountains of San Diego County. For those who don’t know where that is (yes, I realize Americans feel that everyone should know where any major city is located in the USA), it’s down in the southwest corner. Basically, it means the weather is epic, the housing market is too expensive, it’s more personal than Los Angeles, the Mexican food is f’n tasty, and it only takes 90 minutes to go from the mountains to the ocean when the traffic is moderate. I could go on and on. Oh wait, the surf is pretty tasty, too. Onward.

In the winter, the landscape was a golden brown. The leaves had dried up, sometimes continuing to dangle from the trees, while the fields turned caramel colors that melted into the sunset. When green flora appeared, the contrast was just as beautiful as the rest of the scenery.

Those hills were sometimes mysterious. Yeah, one could get lost up there, and a mountain lion might jump out of nowhere and chew on your head, but more often than not, the cows would just gaze in boredom as you passed by.

I’d like to show you my parents’ place. It’s old, but in a patinated way that is elegant and offers beautiful views anywhere on the property. Also, the good thing about jetlag is that when the sun peeks out over the hills, it makes for a brilliant start to one’s day.

5am • Julian, California • San Diego • California • December 2025

They’ve lived in this particular area for almost forty years and it’s always a delight to see what’s growing in the garden, what animals peering up from the trails below, and what birds come to greet us as we drink our coffee in the morning or sip wine in the evening.

A short drive away is Lake Cuyamaca, and whenever we head over to it, it’s never crowded and we’re always greeted by fantastic views. My parents and I walked up and down the banks of the river, and discussed the local Canada Geese that live there and how the area has changed throughout the year. 100% delightful.

Click for full-size images

The opposite direction, and down the mountain a bit, is Santa Ysabel, (pronounced “IZ-uh-bell”) and there’s a fabulous little church there — St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at Santa Ysabel Indian Mission. It’s a solemn and maybe somber setting, as the graveyard next door is home to native Americans, and notably, those who died in WWII. I love photographing these scenes because they offer a time to reflect and think about history, the local population, and maybe how I fit into this world (or not).

And if you keep driving north a bit, you’ll encounter an old dilapidated general store. It’s one of those places that makes me wonder why it ended up like it did. The windows are broken, revealing homes for pigeons that need a place to live yet destroy, inside there are old chairs that seem to comfort ghosts who gaze out to the road and hillside beyond it, there’s also paint which is peeling from years of neglect. Perfect photo opportunities.

These first few days brought a bit of calm into my life, which I desperately needed. Photographing these places made me think of the scenes and nothing more.

My visit lasted only a few weeks, but my photo-taking experience was one that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. I have a few more rolls to show you, so stick around for parts 2, 3, and maybe 4 — My parents and I drove to Phoenix to visit my daughter Gia, gaze upon stunning artwork in a few museums, and take in some spectacular desert botanical gardens.

And as I said at the beginning, color film isn’t on my hotlist, but I feel moments like this trip deserve something different, at least for me. It’s almost therapeutic.

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